Grilled Artichoke
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Grilling makes almost everything taste better, including artichokes! The trick to making a great grilled artichoke is doing most of the cooking before it ever hits the grill. The artichoke should be steamed and cooked until fully tender, but not overly soft. Brush them with oil and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill till you char some grill marks into the stem. The result is a tender, flavorful artichoke – a nice change of pace from the steamed variety.
Serving size: 2
Time: 70 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 artichokes
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
DIRECTIONS
1. For each artichoke, rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Remove any stray leaves from the stem of the artichoke.
2. With kitchen shears, or sharp scissors, remove the thorny tips from the leaves.
3. With a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife, cut about an inch off of the top of the artichoke.
4. Remove the bitter, fibrous end of the stem with your knife, leaving about an inch left on the artichoke.
5. With a sharp chef's knife, cut the artichoke in half. Remove the furry, inedible choke with a melon baller or spoon. Rinse the artichoke to remove all pieces of the furry choke, if needed. Place in bowel of water with lemon juice immediately to keep the exposed central part of the artichoke form turning brown (oxidizing).
6. Boil a large pot of water with a steaming basket inside. Be sure that the water level doesn’t touch the bottom of the steaming basket. When water boils, place as many artichoke halves or quarters as you can fit into the basket in a single layer, exposed side down. Steam artichokes for around 50 minutes, or until they are nice and tender (but not overly soft or falling apart). Steaming time will vary based on the size of your artichokes; quarters will cook faster than halves. Alternatively you can submerge them in water and once the water boils turn the burner to low and simmer for about an hour. You should be able to easily insert a knife into the heart when done. Taste test the base of a leaf to make sure they are cooked enough to eat, as they will not cook much on the grill-- grilling is done to impart a smoky flavor, and won't make them much more tender. Remove from the steamer and allow the artichokes to drain and dry.
7. Combine olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowel. Brush the mixture on to both side s of the artichokes and carefully work it in between the leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Place artichokes, exposed side down and leaf side up, onto the grill over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until you have nice grill marks.
To eat the artichoke, pull off the upper leaves one at a time. For each leaf, place the edible meaty area at the base of the leaf between your teeth, then scrape off the soft edible flesh. Discard the rest of the leaf. Once you've finished eating the leaves, enjoy the meaty base of the artichoke known as the heart, as well as the stem.
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